Platen-shifting mechanism for type-writers.



D. B. WESTIN. PLATEN SHIFTING MECHANISM FOR. TYPE WRITERS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG 13, 1907.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911'.

2 SHEETS- SHEET 1.

' ATTO NEYS 1). B. WBSTIN. FLA-TEN SHIFTING MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITERS.

APPLICATION II I -ED'AUG. 1a, 1907. I

' Patented Dec. 26-, 1911.

Fig 2 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL neon. wEsTI'N, or HARTFORD, con

MEN'I'S, TOTHE NOISELESS TYPEWRITER COMPANY, OF MIDDLETOWN, CONNEGTL CUT, 'A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT. v

PLATEN-SHIFTING- MECHANISM FOR TYPE-WRITERS. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, DANIEL BROR VVESTIN,-

clear, and exact description, such as will I enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to typewrit-ing machines and is directe more especiallywo improvements in mechanismemployed for shifting the platen for different case printmg.

One ofthe objectsof the invention is to provide means for shifting the platento a position at either side of a normal central position so as to enable the same to receive impressions from any one of three types mounted upon eachntype-bar. 2

Another object thereof is to provide simple and efiicient-means forshifting the platensuch that while the same is always held firmly in a normal central or intermediate position it. may be readily shifted to a printing positionto either side thereof.

further object of my invention is to provide m'echanism of the above character which will operate to shift the platen in a silent manner and which will accurately determine the position of the platen in its n ormal positi0n as well as in its shifted positions. V

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter. The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafterv set forth, and the sco e of the a plication of which wi-lh be in icated in t e following claims. v

In the accompanying drawings wherein is illustrated one .of the variouspossible embodiments of my invention; Figure 1 is a rview in vertical section taken through a typewriting machine equipped therewith, the shifted positions of the platen and the mechanism employed to shift the same being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a horispecification of Letters Patent. Application filed August 13, 1907. Serial No. 388.326.

the drawings.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

line aa, Fig. 1 showing certain of the operative parts of my invention in plan. Fig. 3 is ,.a view in elevation of a portion of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of a fixed cam employed herein showing the form of'the cam track.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of In the accompanying drawings wherein my invention is shown applied to a machine of the front strike type 1 indicates a portion of the framing of the machine provided with a bed 2, upon which is supported a bank of type-bars, one of which is shown at 3, said type-bars being adapted to be projected against the common printing point upon the platen by meansnot .shown herein. The platen 4 in the present instance is carmarrow, nssrenon, BY were nssrenz ontal sectional view taken substantially on ried by a frame 5 which slides in a way- 7 provided in an upwardly extending member orhorn 8 of a tie-rod 9 which extends fore and aft of the machine and is anchored in the front portion thereof as at 10.

Extending transversely of the machine and journaled in the'lower ends of a bracket 11 depending from tie-rod 9 is a shaft 12, said shaft having 'at either end thereof an arm 13, which carries a rail 14:, upon which the platen frame is supported. The platen frame rides upon rail 14 during its letter spacing movements and said rail is adapted to be lifted or depressed to shift the platen. Rail 14 is carried upon standards 15, which ride in ways 16, formed inthe m hihe frame. -Arms.13, which extend th ough slots provided in standards 15, are adapted to be swung upwardly and downwardly by oscillatory .movements of shaft .12, and thereby through. rail 14, shift the platen 'from a normal intermediate position in which the same i'sadapted to rest to a position at either side thereof by mechanism which will presently bedescribed; At this point it may be noted that the above mechanism forms no part of my present invention, biit' is described in order to render the ;same clearer of understanding. Certain parts thereof are includedin an application of Charles W. Sponsel 'filed of even date herewith.

Shaft 12 has; fixed thereon at one end an arm 17, which extends downwardly therefrom, the lower end of said arm being pivotally connected at 18 to a lever 19, and this lever at its opposite end has a roll 20 journaled thereon. Roll 20 is adapted to travel in a cam track 21 provided in a member 22 secured, in the present instance, to the left-hand wall of the machine. The cam track 21 is formed upon arcs of different radii so thatwhen roll 20 is caused to traverse the same lever 19 will be projected end-wise in opposite directions, thereby through arm ll rocking shaft 12 in opposite directions, whereby the platen through arms 13 will'be caused to be raised or lowered from its normal intermediate position. The-cam track has a dwell 23 at its intermediate portion and similar dwells 24 and 25, at the upper and lower ends respectively, theform of these dwells being such that a slight movement of roll 20 thereover will not operate to project lever)"- arms l9sinan endwise direction to shift .the'

"' platenf The dwells moreover, through the above; described mechanism, operate to determine the position of the platen in its shifted or in its intermediate position, that is, whenplaten will be located in its intermediate osition, and when said roll occupies either of dwells 24 or 25 the platen will be located or downward to move lever 19 in corre-..

sponding directions, as will presently be made apparent. Extend'ng fore and aft of the machine at the left hand side thereof, and .journaled -upon a stud shaft 30, extending laterally from the rearportion of the framing of the machine, are a pair of shift levers 31 and 32 respectively, 'Lever 31, which is the longer of the two, is adapted to lift the platen, the shorter of said levers bei-ng adapted to depress the same. Floating lever 29 is disposed intermediate these levers and has its forward end connected to shift lever 31 by means of a pivot screw 33: Floating lever 29. is provided intermediate its ends with aslot 34 within which is located a slot block 35 supported upon a stud 36 fixed to shift lever 32. It will therefore be seen that float-- ing lever 29, being attached to each of the shift levers at a different point in its length, will causelink 26 to move upwardly when shift lev 1- 31 is depressed, said floating lever 'roll 20 occupies dwell 23 the in its raised or lowered printingposition swinging upon slot block 35 as a point of pivotal support and will be caused to move link 26in an opposite direction when shift lever 32 is depressed, and in this case said lever will swing upon pivot screw 33 as a stationary pivot. The swinging movements ofthe floating lever when the shift levers are depressed are indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Means are provided for holding oneof the shift levers stationary while the other is clepressed, whereby the stationary lever may operate as a means of pivotal support for the floating lever during the depression of the other shift leverg'said means in the present instance, comprising a ball 37 carried by a rod 38, which hangs from a bracket 39 upon the framingof the machine, saidball being disposed intermediate the shift levers, 'as 'clearly, shown Fig. 2 of the drawings. "Ball 37'is of suchwi'dth as to be. engaged by either shift lever when depressed and'projectecl underneath the other shift. lever, thereby holding the same. against downward movement. 1

Shiftlevers 31 and 32 are both held in up ward positions by means of springs 40 and 41 attached thereto and to a suitable post extending from the frame of the machine. In their upward position the shift levers bear against a pad 42 and in their downward position are arrested by means of apad 43 secured to. a suitable bracket as at 44 pro vided upon the frame of the machine.

To the forward end of eachg f shift-levers 31. and 32 are attachedlocking members 45 and 46 respectively, said locking members having hooks 47 and 48' adapted when the shift levers are'depressed to take under looking plates 49 and 50 secured by means of a bracket 51 to the side wall of theJframin of the machine. Locking members 45. an .46 which have finger keys 52 and 52 at their upper portions are normally held in a posi-- tion shown in Fig. 1 by means of leaf springs 53 and 54, in which position their books will clear the locking plates during the depression of the key levers. However, if during the depression of a shift lever one of these-locking members is engaged by the finger of the'operator the hook thereof may be readily swung beneath one of the locking plates, thereby locking the key lever in its lowered position. When it is desired to unlock the .key lever a slight exertion of presssure thereon will enable its spring to return the locking member to its normal position. Having thus described the construction of this. embodiment of my invention, the operation thereof may now be understood. It will be understood from the above description that the depression, for instance of shift lever 31 will cause floating lever 29 to lift link 26 and thereby swing lever in an upward direction, causing roll 20 to traverse the upper portion of cam track 21. At this point it may be noted that the upper portion of canrtrack 21 is formed uponasmaller .radius than'the central portion, so that when roller 20 is moved to the upward position lever 19 will be. moved reaiwvardly, causing arms 13 to elevate the platen. The lower portion of cam track 21 is formed upon an arc of larger radius than the upper portion so that when roller 20 has been moved to the lower positionvlever 19 will be moved toward the front of the machine, which move ment will depress arms 13 and move the platen to its lower printing position. -This latter movementwill be effected by a depression of shift lever 32 which will operate to depress lever 29 through shift lever 32 and link 26. Springs 40 and 41 connected with shift levers 31 and 32 respectively operate to return the same to their normal positions and also to return lever 19 to the position, shown in the drawings, in which position roll 20 thereof occupies dwell 23 of the cam track, thecarriage being in intermediate position. During each .of the above described movements of shift levers 31 and 32 the shift lever not depressed is heldrigidly against downward movement by means of the ball lock attached to the swinging rod 38. It will accordingly be seen that I have provided mechanism of the above type, well adapted to attain, among others, all the objects and aims of my invention in an exceedingly simple yet eiiicient manner. The platen is held immovable in a normal intermediate position, thus allowing erasures to he made without causing the platen to be depressed under the pressure necessarily employed to effect such operations. The platen is, moreover, automatically locked in either its raised or loweredposition, and the engagement of the cam roll with the dwells of the cam track operate to determine theshifted position of the platen, as well as the in-v termediate position thereof. The shifting operation is also noiseless, owing to the fact that concussion or impact ofmoving parts is entirely eliminated.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also" to be understood that the lan-- guage used in the following claims is int'ended'to 'cover all of thegenerlc and specific featlires of the invention herein de-.

scribed and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language,

v might be said to fall therebetween.

'Having' described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a typewriting machine, the combination with the shiftable platen, of a pair of shift levers, a cam,an'd a lever having a connection with said shift levers and with said cam adapted to shift the platen in opposite directions from an intermediate printing position. I

2. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a platen shiftable in opposite directions from a normal intermediate position, a cam, a' lever connected with said cam and with the platen, anol'a pair of shift levers, each of which has a connection with said first lever and adapted to move the same in opposite directions whereby the platen may be shifted in opposite directions from its normal printing position.

3. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a platen shiftable in opposite directions from a normal intermediate position, a cam,

a lever connected with-said cam and with said platen, a pair of shift'levers, each of which has av pivotal connection with said first lever and adapted to swing the same in opposite directions whereby the platen is shifted in opposite directions from its normal printing. position, and meansfor rest0ring the platen to normal position.

4. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a shiftable platen normally held'in an intermediate position and adapted to be shifted in opposite directions therefrom, a cam, a lever having a connection with said platen and with said cam, and a second lever having a pivotal connection with said first lever and adapted to transmit motion to swing the same in opposite directions thereby shifting the platen from its, intermediate position to a position at either side thereof.

5. Ina typewriting machine, the combinaT-y tion-with a shiftable platen normally held in an intermediate printing position, of means for moving said platen to either side of said normal position for different case printing, comprising a pair of shift levers, a lever pivotally connected to each of said shift levers, a cam, anda second lever oper'atively connected with said cam and having a connection with said first lever and also with the platen.

6. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a shiftable platen normally held in an intermediate printing position, a pair of shift levers for raising or depressing the platen to other printing positions, alever common to both of said shift levers and pivotally connected, to each, a cam, a second lever voperatively connected with said cam and with said first lever, and means forconnecting said second lever with the platen.

7. In a typewriting machine, in combina-- tion, a shiftable platen, a pair of shift levers, 1

a lever pivotally connected at idiiferent connecting the opposite end of said latter connected with said first lever and having shift lever as a fulcrum when the other of ing said second lever with respect to said.

1 shifted in another direction.

points with said shift levers, a second lever, a cam with which one end of sald second lever 1s operatively connected, and means for lever with the platen, said first lever being adapted to swing upon either of its points of attachment with the shift levers as a ful' crum to shift the platen to either side of its normal position.

8.' In a typewriting machine, in combination, a shiftable platen normally resting in an intermediate printing position, a pair of shift levers, a lever to which both of said shift levers are pivotally connected at different points in the length thereof, a cam, and lever mechanism connecting said first lever with the platen and with said cam, the pivotal connection, of said first lever with one of said shift levers operating as a stationary fulcrum when the other of said shift levers is depressed.

9. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a shiftable platen, a pair of shift levers, a lever pivotally connected at a different point in its length with each of said shift levers, a member having a cam track formed upon arcs of different radii, a second lever one of its ends operatively connected with said cam, and a connection between the opposite end of said lever and the platen, said first lever being adapted to swing upon either of its points of connection' with a said shift levers is depressed, thereby swingcam track and shifting the platen to a different printing position.

10. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a shiftahle platen, of a pair of shift levers, a lever connected at different points in its length with each of said shift levers, .a member having a cam track formed upon arcs of different radii, a lever having a member adapted to traverse said cam track, said lever being connected with the platen and also with said first lever, saidfirst lever nection with one of said shift levers as a fill crum to swing said second lever in one direction from its initial position when the other shift lever is depressed and to swing upon its pivotal connection with the other shift' lever as a fulcrum when the first shift lever is depressed whereby the platen will be 11. In a typewriting machine, the combh nation with a shiftable platen, of a lever connected therewith and adapted to shift the same in opposite directions from an interi mediate printing position, a member having i a cam track formed upon arcs of different radii, said lever being adapted to traverse I said cam track, a second lever connected with said first lever, and a pair of shift levers each of which is pivotally connected to said second lever at a difierent point in its length. the pivots connecting said second lever with said shift levers acting as stationary fulcrums or as points of application of power to swing said lever in different direcions whereby the platen will be shifted in a direction dependent upon the particular shift lever depressed.

12. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a shiftable platen adapted normally to rest in an intermediate printing position, a member having a cam track formed upon arcs of different radii, a lever connected with saidplaten and having one end connected with said platen and the opposite end thereof operatively connected with said cam track, a pair of shift levers, and a lever pivotally connected to each of said shift levers at a different point in its length, the pivotal connection of one ofsaid shift levers operating'as a stationary fulcrum about which said last mentioned lever swings when the other shift lever is depressed.

13. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a shiftable platen, of a pair of shift levers, lever and cam mechanism connected with each of said shift levers and with the platen adapted when one of the shift levers is depressed to shift the platen in an upward direction and when the other in a raised position during a depression of the other.

14:.In atypewriting machine, the combination with a shiftable platen normallyresting in an intermediate position and adapted to be shifted to either side thereof for upper or lower case printing. of a pair of shift levers, a pivotally mounted rod depending from a fixedportion of the frame of the machine and extending between said levers'and a ball or similar device carried by said rod and adapted to be engaged by one of said members when depressed and projected beneath the other thereof, whereby the latter lever will be locked in its raised position while the other is being depressed.

15. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a platen adapted to be shifted to either side of a normal printing position for np'per or lower case printing, a pair of shift levers, a leverpivotally connected to each of said shift levers and having a connection with the platen. and means actuated by each of said shift levers for holding the other thereof stationary during a depression of one thereof, whereby the pivotal Connection of each of said shiftlevers with the second mentioned lever operates as a stationary fulcrum about which the latter swings to shift the platen.

16.111 a typewriting machine, in combination, a shiftable platen, a pair of shift levers extending fore and aft of the machine and pivoted upon a fixed pivot located inthe rear portion. thereof, a lever connected to each of said shift levers intermediate their ends, a cam, and a second lever connected with said first lever and operatively connecta lever shift levers,

in one ed with said cam and also with the platen.

17. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a shiftable platen, a pair ofshift levers, a lever connected to each of said shift levers and adapted to be swung upon its pivotal connection with one of said shift levers when the other thereof is depressed, a member having a cam track, a second lever carrying a roll adapted to traverse said cam track, said lever being connected withthe platen, and means for connecting said last mentioned levers.

18. In a typewriting machine, the combie nation with a shiftable platen, of a pair of a lever having a pivotal connection with each of said shift levers, a member having a cam track formed upon arcs of dif ferent radii, a link pivotally connected with said lever, a second lever pivotally connected with said link, a roll journaled on said second lever adapted to traverse said cam track, and a connection between said second lever and the platen. y

19. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a shiftable platen normally held in an intermediate printing position, of means for moving the platen to either side of said normal position for diflerent case printing, comprising a pair of shift levers, pivotally connected to each of said shift levers, a cam track, a lever carrying a member adapted to traverse said cam track and having a connection with the platen, and a link connecting said levers.

20. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a shiftable platen normally held in an intermediate printing position, of a pair of shift levers, a lever pivotally connected at different points in its length a member having a.

with said shift levers, cam track constructed upon arcs of different radii, a lever having a member adapted to traverse said cam track and having a connection with the platen, and a link connecting said first and second mentioned levers,'said second lever when swung in one. direction being adapted to shift the platen direction from its inter mediate position, and when swung in the opposite direction to-shift from such intermediate posi-- tion, said cam track being so constructed as to determine the intermediate or shifted positions of the platen.

21. In a typewriting machine, the com-Q platen normally hination with a shiftalole held in an intermediate printing position, ofa;- pair of shift levers, a lever to which both of said shift levers are pivotally conaccordance with the floating lever having 1;

heated at difierent points in" the length thereof, a member having a cam track formed upon-arcs of different radii, a lever carrying a roll adapted to traverse said cam track, a connect-ion bet-ween said latter lever and the platen, and a link connecting said levers, the last mentioned of said levers being adapted when swung in different directions to shift the platen in different directions from its intermediate position in particular shift lever depressed, said cam track being provided with dwells adapted to determine the position of the platen in either its intermediate or shifted positions. 22. In a typcwriting machine, in combination, a shiftable platen, a pair of shift levers extending transversely of the machine and pivoted upon a fixed pivot located in the rear portion thereof, a lever connected to each of said shift levers intermediate their ends, a member having a cam track formed upon arcs of different radii,.said cam track having dwells at its opposite ends and at its intermediate portion, a roller adapted to traverse said cam track, a lever carrying said roll and having a connection with the platen, and a link connecting said levers and said last mentioned lever when swung in either direction by the first mentioned lever, being adapted to shift the platen to either side of its intermediate position, such shifting being effected by the traversing of said roll upon said cam track. 23. In a typewriting machine, the. com bination with a shiftable platen, of means for shifting the platen to either side of an intermediate printing position for diflerent case printing, comprlsing a pair of shift,

levers, .a floating lever pivotally connected to each ofsaid shift levers,a fixed cam, a lever carrying a member adapted to traverse .said' cam and having its opposite end connected with said platen, a connection between said latter lever and said floating lever adapted when swung in either direction to cause the member carried by said second lever; to traverse said cam track, whereby the platen will be shifted in either directionfrom its intermediate position in accordance with the particular shift lever depressed.

24.. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a shiftable platen; of means for shifting the-same from an intermediate position to a printing position to either side thereof, comprising a pair of shift levers extending transversely of the machine and fulcrumed in the rear portion thereof, a a pivotal connection with each of said shi levers,- whereby when one of said levers is depressed the pivotal portion of the other shift lever with said lever operates as a fulcrum upon which the latter swings to shift the platen, a link the floating lever is carried'by said floating lever, a second'levei' In testimony whereof I affibi'iny signature; connected to said link, a memberhav'mg a -'1n.the presence of tv v'o witnesses.

cam track formed upon arcs of different w s radii, a r011 01' similar device carried by DANIEL BBORW ESTIN. said second level; adapted to traverse said ,.i I 1 cam tmck ands a comleetion between the Witnesses: opposite end of'said -.,second lever and the WM. H. Homss, platens v G. H. S'roRRs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents ashington, D. (1. 

